Changeling Child
by FeareDeath
Summary: Abandoned at birth, a young witch was found by travellers. Her Hogwarts letter? Received and ignored. At the age of sixteen, what happens when the war starts spilling over the edges? And what if Harry Potter wasn’t the Prophesied Child … but Titillanda?
1. Prologue: It Begins

**Changeling Child**

**Summary:** Abandoned at birth, a young witch was found by gypsies. Her Hogwarts letter? Received and ignored. At the age of sixteen, what happens when the war starts spilling over the edges? And what if Harry Potter wasn't the Prophesied Child … but Titillanda Darkstar?

**Disclaimer:** Must I bother? No my name isn't JK Rowling and I don't own Harry Potter – if I did, why would I be writing lowly stories for the internet if I were richer than the Queen of England?

**Author's Note:** This chapter has been edited heavily. If you are a follower of this story, then I highly recommend re-reading the whole story, as I'm changing little bits here and there – it still has the same story line, but phrased in a different way.

If you're new to this story, however, just sit back and enjoy the show. Plus, remember that the rest will make absolutely no sense until I edit those parts too.

And _Dead Paw_ informed me quite a while ago that the word 'gypsies' was offending, so I've changed that. Apologies to anyone I insulted, I am _so_ sorry.

Sorry to those who

And I've also changed the title of the whole thing.

Hope you enjoy the new and improved _Titillanda Darkstar_… hem hem, I mean, _Changeling Child_!

God, I sound like Umbridge…

**Prologue: It Begins…**

It all started on a cold night. A ragged woman holding a one-year-old baby looked around fervently and vanished with a _pop_.

The next morning, a traveller named Melinda Jawk woke up and did the usual ceremony of getting her breakfast and moving over to feed the baby.

She screamed.

Where there had previously been her Harry, a dark-eyed girl looked up at her from the cot.

"What is it, what is it?!" Tanya Kirk, her best friend, asked as she shot up the step to the caravan.

"A devil child!" Melinda shrieked. "Harry has gone! I have been cursed!"

"_Sanctus __Espiritus_! Come to me! Speak to me! Reassure me!" Melinda cried out. "My life has disappeared, for there is no life without love! _Bring him back_!" she screamed to the winds.

_'You will live on… you must love the one who was given… she has the fate of the world on her shoulders… you must save her from the destiny she surely would have if I had left her where she was…'_ the Holy Spirit whispered to her.

_'And don't break her wand.'_

—

_Dear Miss Jawk,_

_This is my daughter, Titillanda. I am sure that she will give as much joy as she gave me. She is my only child that I will ever have, so I want the best for her. I know that she will never have the life she would have had if she had stayed with me, but that is for the best._

_You are my only hope. She is the Prophesised Child, yet that is not the doom I wish her to have. She must be strong, and the only way to achieve that is for her to be with the travellers I know will save her from the doom._

_I enclose you her wand, the only thing she will ever know her mother for. Keep it, and her, safe._

_Yours for ever more,_

_Flame Darkstar._

– — –

I know, I know, even shorter than the original, but ah well…

Most of the chapter is made up of the massive Author's Note at the beginning.


	2. Odd Happenings

**Changeling Child**

**Summary: **Abandoned at birth, a young witch was found by travellers. Her Hogwarts letter? Received and ignored. At the age of sixteen, what happens when the war starts spilling over the edges? And what if Harry Potter wasn't the Prophesied Child … but Titillanda Darkstar?

**Disclaimer: **Nope. Don't own Harry Potter. Drat.

**Author's Note: **This chapter has now been edited. If you're following the story, you'll need to read the whole thing again, as I've re-done the whole chapter, with a new plot point. Yes! _Sanctus Espiritus_ (pronounced 'Sanct-OOS eh-spirit-OOS) is now a foreshadow in this story. Before, she wasn't, now …

She is.

**Chapter One**

_Mysterious Incidents_

Titillanda Darkstar was just having breakfast when there was a disturbance.

She looked up at Miranda, who was also staring at the brown screech owl that was making its way straight to 'Landa. It dropped a piece of yellowish paper down on her toast.

"Err… thanks," she muttered to the owl, which hooted huffily, and flew off, making sure to scratch the table as it left.

Frowning, she opened it and read through it quickly.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand __Sorc.,__ Chf Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International __Confed__. of Wizards)_

_Dear Miss__ Darkstar,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizard—_

'Landa stopped reading at this point. _'Witchcraft my arse,__'_ she thought. _'It is not something that should even be considered. _Sanctus Espiritus_ would not approve._

"Do your stuff," said Melinda, who had been reading over her shoulders.

It went up in flames. 'Landa was an Elemental; one of the four in the world. She could create fire, move it…

Manipulate it.

She could destroy, change its colour, she could do just about anything with it…

Except obliterate it.

—

Professor Dumbledore had just finished sending off all the owls to the soon-to-be-first-years. What he hadn't expected was a letter from a… disbelieving witch.

_Saunders._

_Terrori__s__ing __owls now, are we? Just thought I'd tell you that I__ believe in none of that crap you've sent__ me__Hardly believable anyway.__ Come on, __'__Hogwarts__'__I_know _you've hated hogs ever since that incident in the lake.__Get – a – life. __'__Professor Dumbledor__e'__: six syllables – well done. But you could have been a_ bit_ more obvious and called him '__Professor Bumblebee__'__Supreme Mugwump my arse._

_Realise this; I am not standing for any of your jokes anymore. I don't care _

_Pah__. Nice try._

_Sincerely hoping you get some brain cells,_

_'Miss Darkstar'._

He leaned over to Minerva and showed her the. Her eyes widened as she read through. She looked at him and their eyes met. He nodded. Minerva stood up and headed out of the hall.

—

"Reveal your secrets!" Minerva whispered. The letters jumbled themselves around and it now read as follows.

_Miss Darkstar__ may be found __at Location 7 – A94K30KA399032._

_Floo__ Code: No__ connection._

_Apparation__ Code: 74-37-584-8290. No wards._

Minerva seemed to understand the strange numbers and letters on the parchment, and set off.

She was in such a hurry as she left that she didn't notice the pair of gleaming yellow eyes watching her turn around and hurry back to its pack.

—

Yellow Eyes walked into the clearing, their newly acquired home, and shook his shaggy head.

The biggest, greyest, oldest wolf of the forest howled.

As he howled, he let go of the hope, the hope that today was the day.

As he howled, he let go of the anger at his son for bringing bad news.

As he howled, he let go of the disappointment that he had felt – disappointment at that simple shake of the head.

As he howled, his mourn was swallowed, swallowed by the God who protected them all

_'I will always be with you; through fire and storm, wind and rage, for the whole of Eternity. I am your Holy Spirit._

_'I am your _Sanctus Espiritus_.'_

—

The centaurs could hear the wolves and murmured in surprise. The wolves hardly ever howled. Rhonan threw up his head and stared at the skies.

"Mars is bright tonight. If the wolves are back, then there will be War."

Jabea, his Mate, thrust back her head too. "And Dark and Light will be crushed, and the world will be no more."

—

_'Light is the side of devotion, the side I must change for the goodness of the Earth. They rely too much on things staying the same, yet there is no Life without change. The Dark must be defeated so that they don't change things for the worst; Tom Riddle never __would have destroyed the world, had it not been for _Nex Espirita_, the one whom _Ietalis _call Satan._

_'Tom Riddle must die, and so must _Nex_; the Dark in this world must be erased, for with Dark, _Nex _can only live._

_'With Light, _Nex_ is consumed.'_


	3. Bonded for Life

**Titillanda Darkstar**

**Summary: ** Abandoned at birth, a young witch was found by gypsies. Her Hogwarts letter? Received and ignored. At the age of sixteen, what happens when the war starts spilling over the edges? And what if Harry Potter wasn't the Prophesied Child … but Titillanda Darkstar?

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but my twisted little brain. And you can't have that. I don't _care _how good your Lawyer is.

**Chapter Two**

Thirteen. She was thirteen tomorrow! Tanya was planning a sort of surprise celebration with all her friends. Of course, her friends were rubbish at keeping secrets – all she had to do was pressure Tasha a little, and she spilled.

But she didn't _tell _Tanya that she knew. Let her have her fun, then act all surprised at the (guess what…) surprise party.

Jo, Tasha and Cassie were sitting opposite her. Landa pretended to be occupied by her food, but actually listened to the conversation they were having.

"…the boys are starting their sword-fighting classes tomorrow," Cassie said. "Saunders was bragging about it to me while I was cleaning Moonlight's tack—" Moonlight was Cassie's horse—"I wish I could go; at the very least just to kick his arse."

Landa joined in. "Well, why can't we?" Her friends jumped at the sound of her voice, but relaxed when they heard what she had to say. "'Cause we're girls, I s'pose. But let's turn up – you know, show them our moves."

Jo smirked. "You know Saunders couldn't bear the shame of being beaten by a girl."

A pause.

"Let's do it."

—

The next day, when they woke up, they got dressed into the standard sword-fighting clothes – i.e. as little as possible. So they were wearing tiny shorts and tank tops. Landa winced as she realized what sort of attention they would attract.

"What is it?" hissed Jo.

"You do realize what the …males will say when they see us?" Landa hissed back.

"Oh… damn. Well, we're going through with it. I haven't planned all night just to back out at the last minute."

"You? You didn't plan. You just hogged the bed and munched on marshmallows while the _rest_ of us actually did something," Tasha said.

"Did not!" Jo exclaimed indignantly.

"Did too!" the rest of them said.

Finally, Jo gave a small snort, which turned into a giggle, which turned into a full-scale laugh.

The others laughed too.

It felt good.

—

Cassie could feel the stares they were attracting from most of the males situated in the clearing and immediately felt her cheeks heat up. _Damn my stupid blushing ability!_ she thought.

Tash, however, walked in proud, with her head held up high. Jo followed in her wake, and Landa did after her. Cassie sighed to herself and finished the line.

"And what d'you reckon you're doin' here?"

The foursome whipped around.

"Saunders," whispered Landa, vehemently.

"Darkstar," Saunders glared back.

Tasha interrupted before it could get bad. "What we're doing here should be obvious, you halfwit. We're here to learn sword-fighting."

"Girls aren't allow—" he started to say, but Cassie was the one who interrupted this time.

"Girls _are_ allowed. I checked with Griselda. She said that as long as we were competent – _which we are – _then we are perfectly in our right to attend these classes." She blushed again as she realized that everyone was staring at her.

"No one cares what you think, you basta—"

"How _dare _you!" Landa shrieked. She raised her hand and slapped him right across the face, leaving a bright red handprint streaked across his cheek.

Jo was fuming as well. "You think you're so perfect – and you're _not!_ You may be 'the height of cool', but it doesn't give you the right to insult Cassie's parentage!"

Tasha was red with anger. "And no matter what you say, Cassie is, and always will be, much, much, _much_ better than you!"

Saunders smirked, "The bastard can't speak for herself then?" His entourage tittered.

Cassie spoke quietly, but everyone heard her. "Oh, I can speak. Like I can say that I know what you did to Mary Jackson last night. I can say that I know you lied to her when you said—"

"Shut up," Saunders hissed; his face so close to her that she could smell his putrid breath when he spoke. "_Shut up_ I tell you. Because I know things about you, too. What about when you were speaking to your weird friends about what Darkstar can do with fire. I was outside your caravan. It's weird – it's freaky. You should break friends with them and join us – we'd accept you, you know. You'd get along with us great."

Everyone waited with baited breath for Cassie's answer. Slowly she shook her head. "You're out of your mind," she whispered.

Saunders shook with anger. He grabbed her and lifted her into the air. Then he threw her to the ground. She landed ten foot from where she originally started. She moaned in pain and Jo and Tash went over to her. Landa, however, stayed where she was.

"I'll show you what I can do with fire."

As she spoke, she lifted her hands into the air and thought about how she hated Saunders at that moment. She thought of her fury when he had called Cassie a bastard. She recalled her rage when he had thrown Cassie. All her hatred was directed into this little ball of fire.

"_Sanctus Espiritus,_ redeem us from our solemn hour. _Sanctus Espiritus,_ insanity is all around us. _Sanctus __Espiritus_is this what we deserve? Can we break free from chains of never-ending agony?"

As she spoke, her little fire-ball grew bigger and bigger. And bigger. And bigger, until it was just a giant wall of flame.

Tasha's voice sounded." Landa, don't do it! You'll get the blame, and – and – and you will be taken!"

Landa replied through thick tears. "I don't care! This has gone on long enough. I need to bring the justice."

"No, my child, you do not. That is my job." Landa looked round furiously for the new voice, but then she saw Saunders' frightened face and turned around.

Her flame had taken the form of a woman. When Landa saw her, her eyes widened. "_Sanctus Espiritus," _she breathed.

The flame-lady nodded. "I am indeed your holy spirit. You have done what was previously thought impossible – you have called me. You did not do so for frivolous purposes – you did it because you were truly afraid for your friend. You will receive your reward. And you –" she turned on Saunders and her face had a terrifying expression – "you have made fun of another human being for your own amusement. You will receive your punishment."

At the word 'reward', Landa felt such an elation, so wonderful, so brilliant, that it was impossible to describe – the only words that even came close were 'ecstasy', 'jubilation', and 'euphoria'. At the same time, Saunders felt desolation, despair and anguish. After this was done, the flame flickered and died.

And there was silence.

—

"Are you sure you can't find them?" Dumbledore pressed Minerva.

I'm absolutely bloody certain!" she grumbled. "Every time I get anywhere near close, they've upped and gone by the time I get there."

"You don't suppose—"

Dumbledore was interrupted by a small _'blip'_ from one of his silver machines. He studied it closely for a minute.

"Well?" Minerva questioned anxiously.

"It seems that there has been a huge magical disturbance near –"

"Disturbance? Where?"

"I was just going to tell you that. Anyway, there has been a magical disturbance somewhere in Nottinghamshire. I'll have to go see what it is before those blasted Ministry fools get there."

"They were _bumbling _fools, last time. What's changed?"

"I'll tell you what's changed…" grumbled Dumbledore, before sweeping from his office with that annoyingly superior look on his face.

—

The centaurs stood in the middle of the clearing. They were gazing at the stars whilst muttering to themselves.

"…magical disturbance in Nottinghamshire. The Spirits of Ancient are speaking to the living— good Lord! The wind is on fire!"

The news spread rapidly through the crowd. The wind was on fire!

An elder raised his voice above the mutterings. "If there was ever a time to speak with the humans it would be now." He looked around before speaking once more. "Who will be the bearer of this terrible news?"

The other centaurs looked at each other uneasily – _tell _the godforsaken species? – before a bold voice called out: "I will."

Heads turned to the speaker. "Ah, Firenze," the Elder said. "Yes, you will do nicely. Go."

And Firenze turned around and trotted to the castle.

—

Harry Potter and his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, were at breakfast. When the owls soared in, Hermione took one look at her _Daily Prophet_ and spat out her toast.

"Guys," she whispered urgently to Harry and Ron, "look at this."

They read the article and their eyes widened in shock.

"So that was why…" Ron said in a dazed voice.

"Why what?" Hermione asked sharply.

"It says here, _'All students with magical blood at Hogwarts __School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will have felt the effects of this major magical disturbance up in Nottinghamshire.' _It all makes sense!"

"Would you mind telling me what you're prattling on about?" Hermione asked waspishly.

"Well… a pureblooded wizard can sort of… I dunno, _feel _magic – but only if they're in a magical enough place. It's like a side effect. It's different for different families though… like my family… our shoulders feel like they're growing _wings_. It's weird."

"And I," chimed in Harry, "feel like my eyes are going to pop out of my head."

"But," sneered a voice from behind them all, "as you're a Mudblood, Granger, you wouldn't feel anything."

Harry and Ron growled and turned around pointing their wands at the offender.

"Malfoy."

"Potter."

"Mind sharing how _you _feel then?" Hermione asked chirpily.

"I," he sneered again, "feel like I'm being electrified. Bloody painful if you ask me." And he walked away.

Harry looked at Ron. "Is it just me, or did we manage to keep up a halfway decent conversation with Malfoy for over two minutes?"

"Nope. It's not just you. I noticed he only used profanity once." Ron whispered.

"And I noticed that he was happy to share his …experience," said an awed Hermione.

They looked at each other.

"Wicked."

—

Jo, Landa, Tash and Cassie.

Best friends through thick and thin.

They were holding a secret conference in a wood that they had just found whilst exploring.

And at the moment, the other three had absolutely _no_ idea what Landa was doing.

She was scaling a tree and trying to catch a branch that was swaying in the wind.

"Landa! What the hell are you doing?"

"You'll see!"

So they waited a full ten minutes before Landa came back down. And in her hands was… a leaf.

She put up her hands and said, "I don't want to hear it. Just listen to me."

She picked up a small stone and placed it on top of the leaf to stop it from flying away. Then she turned to them. "We're best friends, yeah?"

"Yeah…" they said, wondering what this was leading to.

"And friends don't desert each other, right?"

"Right…"

"Well, I realized today, that people might want to split us up. Hell, they might even succeed." She took a deep breath and continued. "Well, I was thinking, if we had a pact… to always stay loyal to each other… to always search for each other, no matter how slim the chances of survival are …that we should be bonded. To always look out for the others. To hold on to them. To value their lives as much as we do our own."

Cassie nodded.

"We should perform this ritual I found in that old book."

As Landa was the only one who could even begin to read, she was the one that had taken the book that they had found lying on the ground a year ago.

"It's called 'The Bonding Ritual'. It says that we'll need the leaf of an oak – that's why I got that – and one drop of blood from each of the bonders."

"It all fits…" Cassie whispers.

"What?" Landa looked up sharply.

"You know that I can …prophesize?"

"Mmm…"

"Well, I had this dream. It showed the four of us… each with a scar down our cheeks… and we were calling for each other. And then I saw this castle… and I heard screaming." Tears were running down her face. "And then it stopped. Everything went white. And when I called out to you all, there was no reply, but I could feel this sort of… warmth inside of me, you know? And it gave me hope. But then there was this loud screeching noise. And I saw these symbols – Skull, Feather, Star and Heart. Then I woke up."

Silence.

Then Landa spoke. "It said in the book that we'd feel each other inside of ourselves. Like – like we could feel their life source."

"I think that's what it was," Cassie said.

Jo spoke for the first time. "I think we should do it. If Cassie's seen that we have, then we have. There's no use tempting fate."

"I'm in," said Tasha.

"Me too," said Landa.

"Yes," whispered Cassie, still crying.

"OK," said Landa, "I'll do me first."

She took out the oak leaf and placed it on the stone. Then she took out a knife from the back pocket of her jeans and raised it to her cheek. She slashed down hard and dropped the blood on the knife onto the leaf. Jo did the same. Then Tash, then Cassie.

Landa then swirled the separate droplets together with her finger, said the words, _"Bonded for Life,"_and there was a white glow so bright that they had to shield their eyes. When they opened them again, instead of a leaf, there was a silver pendant. Landa picked it up cautiously. When nothing happened, she examined it more closely. It had the engraving of a skull on it. She put it on carefully.

Jo said, "It looks right on you."

"Mmm…" Tasha agreed.

But Cassie wasn't listening. Instead she was staring at the rock that the pendant had been on. "Landa – Tash – Jo – Look!"

In the place of the Skull Pendant, was another one. This time, it was Jo that picked it up. It had the markings of a feather.

"And another one!" gasped Cassie.

Tash took this one, and when she stared at it, she saw a star.

"And that one's for you," Landa whispered to Cassie.

This one had a heart.

"Skull, feather, star and heart. Cassie – you saw them!" Jo said.

"They must mean something." Tasha said.

The question is – what?" Landa murmured.

"I don't think we'll ever know," said Jo, solemnly.

—

I know it's longer than usual, but I couldn't think of where to end it. Gah

Also, I think there are a few typos in there, but it's three in the morning, I've just finished my History Report, and I'm dog-tired. So show a little respect, will you?

YAWN… that bed sure looks comfy…


	4. Life or Death

**TITILLANDA DARKSTAR**

**DISCLAIMER:**Why are you people so anxious to name me as JK Rowling? WHY?! 

**SUMMARY:** Abandoned at birth, a young witch was found by travellers. Her Hogwarts letter? Received and ignored. At the age of sixteen, what happens when the war starts spilling over the edges? And what if Harry Potter wasn't the Prophesied Child… but Titillanda?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Yes, yes, I'm alive … but I feel terrible. I've just got over a case of the flu. I can still barely talk, and my nose is as red as anything. I also had to do my GCSE coursework while I was ill _(with the FLU!)_ and I'm just starting to feel a little better now, so I decided I'd type this chapter. It is my longest yet! 2,343 words. Enjoy.

CHAPTER THREE

Landa woke up with a feeling of anticipation and trepidation – her sixteenth birthday! This meant two things.

One: she was sixteen (obviously), and two: she would find out who she was engaged to today. She didn't really care; she just hoped it wasn't Saunders.

She jumped out of her bed and pulled on her clothes. She grabbed her cloak and rushed outside. She remembered what Tanya had told her about her birthday …_We don't really know the day yer birfday is, Landa; so instead, yer birfday is the day you were deliver'd to us._

It was with a strange feeling in her chest that she fingered her pendant as she ran over to Jo's caravan.

"Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo!" she sang as she reached Jo's bunk.

"Five more minutes…" Jo called sleepily, and turned over in bed.

Landa rolled her eyes and smiled: she knew Jo's morning routine by heart by now – Jo would keep on asking for 'five more minutes', until she was either dragged out of her bunk or doused in water. Landa preferred the 'doused in water' option the best.

She turned on the tap and filled up a nearby cup to the brim. Grinning evilly to herself, she tipped a tiny bit of water onto Jo's hair. Then, with a jolt of her hand, the rest of the cup's contents went cascading down on Jo's face.

"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" shouted Jo, leaping out of her bunk, whilst shaking her body like a dog. "What was that for?"

"Why, to get you up of course!" Landa said happily.

Jo growled.

It was clear that Jo did not like mornings.

* * *

Voldemort frowned at Alecto Carrow and her brother Amycus. He had been shaken awake by a house-elf with a squeaky voice. (Actually, all of his house-elves had squeaky voices, but this one's had an extra squeak quality. It was probably why that particular house-elf was called Squeak).

"And what about this magical disturbance?" he asked, tone a little grumpy.

"My lord," said Alecto, "the magical signature matches the one that you showed us."

"Yes, my lord," her brother agreed, "and apparently there has been more than one commotion around that area."

"You have found the Chosen Child?" Voldemort asked, looking grudgingly interested.

"Yes, my lord," Alecto said proudly – her brother nudged her indignantly; she shoved him off with a frown. Voldemort looked curiously at the two of them, and a quick probe into Amycus's mind showed him that Alecto had done none of the work – but had simply listened to what Amycus had to say, and then tried to take all the credit. He frowned: he would have to punish Alecto later. But for now… he had more important things to worry about…

"We attack tonight."

* * *

The wolf growled, his grey muzzle twitching with anticipation. His prey was there; simply lying there… he could get it if he jumped – right now! He leapt onto the body of a human – a human that had black hair and a green crest to the left of his robes – and dragged it past a couple of trees before stopping.

Grey Muzzle had just noticed.

The human was breathing.

And it was angry.

* * *

"…we are here to celebrate the birthday, and therefore engagement of Titillanda Darkstar…"

Cassie wasn't really paying attention to the ceremony.

"…sixteen today…"

She had had a strange feeling all day.

"…and she will be marrying –"

Griselda never finished that sentence. For at that very moment, twenty figures cloaked in black appeared out of thin air.

* * *

The human that Grey Muzzle had thought was dead woke up to a feeling of great pain. There was something stuck in his side.

That was the moment that he realised – it was one of the great wolves of the Forbidden Forest. These legendary creatures had not been sighted since the seventeenth century. And it was trying to eat him. With a hiss of pain he stood up and shouted…

_"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

* * *

_

Landa stared in shock at the black covered group of people. But, almost instinctively, she stood up and grabbed her sword (she always carried it around with her nowadays); the others followed. And she started to fight.

…fighting for her life…

…fighting for her freedom…

…fighting for her friends.

* * *

McGonagall entered Dumbledore's office to find him staring at a piece of silver machinery in shock.

"Minerva… it's – it's – it's her."

She gasped. After all these years of desperation, despair, had they found the Chosen One? Had they found the one who could defeat You-Know-Who once and for all?

"Are – are – are you sure?" When Dumbledore nodded a yes, she jumped up from where she had sat down and shouted: "Then let's go! What are you waiting for? Come on, come on, and let's go!"

She made to race out of the room, but Dumbledore's next words made her stop.

"But Voldemort has found her first."

* * *

_Slash! Parry! Duck!_

_Slash! Parry! Duck!_

Tasha and Jo were working as a team; but what they didn't get was why the opposition had no swords… they had sticks – wands, if Tanya's scrutiny was worth a penny.

But now, the resistance was wearing thin – they were losing.

The black cloaked people were shooting jets of light out of their wands – and, as the travellers soon found out, if the green hit you, you were dead.

But then Landa was there, and she was shooting fireballs at the killers.

And the slayers were being consumed by the flames.

But one… one was still fighting… and he was shooting spurts of water at the fireballs…

…laughter…

…there was laughter…

…cruel, horrifying laughter…

…And Landa was pulled towards the man by invisible forces, eyes wide, shrieking with terror; the man grabbed her and disappeared.

And the people who were left, still alive, their ears were ringing with all that lingered of Landa – her screams – sobbed.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore listened to Severus's explanation of what had happened in the forest.

"…and it was dragging me, so I – I – I killed it… but, you see, I had to, otherwise it would have kill—"

"But," Dumbledore interrupted his story, "what you haven't told me is this – what were you doing there in the first place?"

Severus Snape, for once, was silent.

* * *

Voldemort dragged Landa from where they had appeared from into his meeting room. Most of his Death Eaters were there already. The only ones who were not were the ones who had died during the fight which he had got the girl from.

"Today," Voldemort started importantly, "is a very big day for us –" The Death Eaters cheered – "for, today, we have found the long-lost 'Prophesied Girl'. She is here!" And Voldemort pulled her out from behind his back.

Blood-covered and filthy, Landa looked little more than her worst.

"You are Titillanda Darkstar, am I correct?" Voldemort hissed at her, almost in Parseltongue.

"So what if I am?" she replied, defiantly.

"You were destined to be my downfall, or I yours – but you do not know magic; am I correct?"

"Magic? Per-lease. You're worse than Cassie on a bad day." Landa folded her arms defiantly.

Voldemort blinked. He had not expected something like this… something so … insolent. He had expected sobs, and pleas for mercy, not backlash from her tongue.

But he recovered quickly; most of his Death Eaters hadn't even noticed his hesitation – only Bellatrix and Lucius (but they hid it well). With a quickly whispered "Crucio" Landa was on the floor, writhing and thrashing and screaming. When Voldemort lifted the curse, he laughed down at her; she glared up at him with all the hate she could muster.

"That's right, attack a defenceless child who has absolutely no chance of retaliating and then laugh at her," Landa said, hatefully. "You're so stupid that it's hard to believe. You complete and utter –" But by that time she was under the Cruciatus Curse again.

After lifting the curse once more, Voldemort whispered to her, "Did you know, you have a quarter Vampire blood in you, which gives you a quarter of protection against that curse. Other people will feel the pain four times worse than you. Look –" He pointed his wand at a nearby Death Eater (Macnair) and cast the curse at him – "see how much louder his screams are than yours?"

Landa stared at him in disgust, and then at the Death Eaters. "You just let him torture you? And you don't rise up, get rid of him?" she asked, disbelievingly.

Voldemort lifted the spell from Macnair, who lay shivering and whimpering on the floor, until another Death Eater next to him kicked him, at which he got up.

"I think," Voldemort said to Landa, "that it is time for you to 'sleep'." The Death Eaters cheered, because they knew the hidden meaning behind the words and Landa looked at them uneasily.

_"Nagini!"_ Voldemort hissed._ "Come!"_

A great green snake slithered out of a corner, whispering to itself. As it got nearer, Landa could hear it speaking.

_"…ssso sssweet ssso beautiful, will tassste ssso… good…"_

"The snake!" said Landa in horror, "It speaks!"

_"Stop!"_ Voldemort told Nagini. Turning to Landa he asked, "You can understand her?"

"It spoke."

"She," Voldemort hissed.

"Fine, _she_ spoke then."

"And you heard what she said?" Voldemort persisted.

"Yeah…" Landa said, suspiciously.

"What did she say?"

"'So sweet, so beautiful, will taste so good'," Landa whispered.

* * *

Cassie screamed as Landa disappeared. She ran over to where the man had disappeared with her friend and ran a hand along the ground.

Jo rushed over to her, and, with tears falling down her cheeks she said, "That was _magic_; they used _magic_ – _magic_ to take Landa away."

But Cassie wasn't listening. "Can't you feel it?" she whispered, "The vibrations?"

Jo looked at her, as though for the first time. "No," she said quietly.

Cassie ignored her, and spoke in a strange voice; hoarse – grim.

_"The never ending flame that consumes all … __The one who shall make the Dark Lord fall … She was taken away so she could win … Against the one terrible sin … People have died, now it ends … She will succeed with the help of her friends … He will fall; all will be glad … She will have triumphed against bad … But one must die for this to occur … More will expire – more and more … She will be feared by all of evil … Because You-Know-Who shall be killed … In her no wrong is found … She'll always stand her ground … Even when faced by Death … She'll be true to herself …"_ Cassie took a long, shuddering breath, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

Jo stared.

"What?" Cassie asked worriedly.

"You just made a prophecy! A proper one; real – it rhymed, and everything!" Jo said.

"What did I say?"

Jo repeated it to her, word for word.

Cassie looked into the distance. "We have to tell Tasha."

"Agreed."

* * *

Nagini slithered to Landa curiously. _"You can ssspeak the tongue of the sssnake, human?"_

Landa looked at the pale, pasty man who stood beside her. He nodded curtly.

_"I suppose, if that is what I'm speaking now."_

_"… Massster … thisss Sssnake-Human; how isss it that ssshe did not know that ssshe had the gift of the Ssspeakersss?"_

_"She was unknowledgeable of Wizard-kind until today – it fits that she did not know her gift."_

The Death Eaters watched this exchange with confused faces … well, most of them did – one person, one Death Eater understood the whole conversation. He had listened in shock when the name 'Titillanda Darkstar' had been called out, and one memory came flashing back…

_"It's a girl," he said, disappointedly. He had been hoping for a male heir, one that could carry on the line and the name. And his could not have more children – the Healer had informed her of her internal problems. This was their first child._

_Marriage meant loyalty until death. They had taken their vows as sixteen year old kids. They had thought it was love; but now he realised that it was a set up by the Dark Lord. _

_He could not find an heir to his line, there was only one thing he could do._

_And when his newly born daughter was five years old, he would do it.

* * *

_

Tasha listened intently to Jo's explaination of Cassie's prediction.

_"The never ending flame…"_ she mused. _"Taken away …_ Hmm… well, it's obviously about Landa," Tasha looked at the other two curiously as they gasped. "What? Hadn't you realised?" When the other two shook their heads she said, "Landa can make flame, can't she? And she was taken away by that … person –" as she said the word 'person' a thin lipped expression appeared on her face – "to goodness-knows-where, goodness-knows-how."

"Mmm …" said Cassie.

"Well," said Jo, "let's go then."

"Where?"

"We're going to find Landa."

* * *

Grey Muzzle stared at the green light heading towards him, and died with a last howl alerting the pack to his position.

Ten minutes later, Three Paw (who always walked on three paws because she had had an accident when he was young – she'd never been able to use her front left hand foot again) could be seen dragging Grey Muzzle's dead body extremely carefully back to the den. Looking at Yellow Eyes meaningfully, Three Paw laid his father's carcass delicately on the floor.

Unseen by anyone, Yellow Eyes shook his great shaggy head and walked dejectedly into his sleeping nest.


	5. Forgive Those Who Trespass: Part I

**TITILLANDA DARKSTAR**

_Chapter Whatever-Chapter-Number-I'm-On-As-I'm-Too-Lazy-To-Check_

Forgive Those Who Trespass

(I know! That's the first time I've ever put the chapter name in the actual chapter, instead of just putting it in the little dropdown list!)

DISCLAIMER: This is a disclaimer… and what do you reckon they're there for?

SUMMARY: You should know this off by heart now; I've put it in enough times…

And, um, I've just realised that Jo has the same first name as JK – it wasn't intentional, honest!

_So – on with the chapter!_

"Err… Cass?" Jo asked.

"Hmm?"

"How are we going to find her?"

"Well, you see," she said at top speed, "there are these little vibrations which show where she's headed, as she was wearing her skull when she was taken, so all we have to do is follow them and we should find her soon enough." A pause. "Of course, if she moves around too much, then the vibrations will change slightly, and therefore we'll head in a slightly wrong direction, but we'll arrive at about the right place. Hopefully."

"Ah," Tasha said intelligently.

"And what do we do when we find her?" Jo asked.

"Nick her from whoever's got her, do a little permanent damage to their home and scarper."

"Good plan!"

—

"Hmm…" the Dark Lord mused. "You say she's depressed?"

"Yes, my lord. She won't eat, she won't speak, and she most certainly won't get off her bloody arse an— err, sorry, my lord."

Voldemort smiled sadistically. "I expect that you've at least _tried_ to attain certain …information from her?"

"Yes, my lord."

"You do realise, _Drake_ –" he said the name almost mockingly – "that I expect truth from you at all times?"

"Y – Yes, my lord."

"Well, then …let me see your memories."

And Drake's screams could be heard along the hallway and through Landa's door.

She shivered.

—

Now, Landa wasn't a terribly strong person – something you wouldn't expect to be true coming from a traveller like herself – but she knew that she could escape if she put her brain – and her muscle – to it.

Drake had not been seen since the day Voldemort had entered his mind, and a new Death Eater (as she now knew they were called) had been sent to 'look after' her.

His name was Lucius Malfoy.

Lucius seemed to be a little dejected most of the time he was guarding her. He'd enter (after knocking to check that she was …decent). After coming in, he'd slump on the chair next to her bed and only speak if she asked him questions. Of course, he did actually guard her – one time she'd tried to pretend she wanted to go to the bathroom whilst he was there (she actually tried to get out into the hallway) and he'd jumped up, grabbed her arm, and said, "Nice try," before setting her back on the bed, and sitting back down on his chair.

He now came into her room. "Morning," he muttered distractedly, taking his usual place on his chair.

"Morning," she murmured. She actually had a question that she wanted to ask him, but needed to build up to it.

"So… how's life?" she enquired, trying to start a conversation.

"Not good… Narcissa has been bugging me lately about some party that she doesn't even want to go to; she's just going because she doesn't want to offend the Zabini household. Then again, Gabriella Zabini is a Pureblooded witch – she supports the Dark, too… I might well ask my lord if I may be excused from this week's raid; she might be swayed to join the Death Eaters… now that's an idea…" As Lucius trailed off, Landa took the opportunity to ask some things that she didn't understand – she had a fairly good idea who 'Narcissa' was, but it could be relevant to the question she really needed to ask.

"What's a 'Pureblood'?"

"Someone whose blood hasn't been mixed with Muggles'," he said.

"What's a 'Muggle'?"

"A non-magic being."

"And who's 'Narcissa'?"

"My wife. She's the world to me – I wouldn't know what to do without her."

"Really?" Landa feigned interest. "Do you have a son as well?"

"Yes," Lucius said, "Draco. You'd like him. You're Slytherin."

_'__Slytherin__?'_ she thought, but pushed that back; she needed to continue with the 'Draco' line of questioning.

"'Draco'," she said experimentally, "that's a nice name."

Lucius smiled. "It means 'Dragon' in Latin. It's also a constellation: that's a big tradition for the Blacks – Narcissa's maiden family – naming sons and daughters after the stars."

Landa frowned. She had always been fascinated by the stars, and she couldn't remember one called 'Narcissa'. When she voiced those thoughts, Lucius answered, "Yes, everyone wondered at that. 'Bellatrix' and 'Andromeda' were one thing, but 'Narcissa'? We think her mother was delusional when she named her. She died three days afterwards, you know."

"After Narcissa's birth, you mean?"

"Mmm…"

They sat in silence for a minute.

"So… what other names are there that are stars?"

"Well …Sirius Black – he's dead now, you know. Died at the Department of Mysteries –"

"The _what_?"

"From the Ministry of Magic."

Landa gave up. "'Sirius' – is that the Dog Star?"

"Yes. Then there was his little brother, Regulus. I don't know what that one stands for."

"Little Dog," Landa supplied immediately.

"And then there was 'Abraxus', my father –"

"I don't know that one."

"– neither do I. And then 'Scorpius' is another – scorpion – and Aquila – river goddess, and –"

A cold, high voice cut him off.

—

I apologise profusely for the long wait for the update, but I've been busy. And besides, I've only got four reviews …and they were for the first chapter. As I sniff, I also need to apologise for the shortness of this chapter… but really it's just sort of a filler section. I always intended for this one to be short.

On a completely different note, I'd just like to inform you that my sister, Risi, now has an account on this website. She's called Naughty Little Sausage and it would be wonderful if you could check out her page.


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